288 THE WEALTH OF THE SEA 



of hothouse generally used by florists, has been con- 

 structed at Beaufort. Young animals are placed in 

 tanks inside the house, kept at a temperature of 

 eighty to ninety degrees Fahrenheit. When kept 

 warm, the young animals feed all winter, with the 

 result that a year's growth is gained by the terrapins 

 during their first winter. The winter feeding of older 

 animals has not yielded practical results. 



Diamond-back terrapins grow slowly. Only a 

 few reach a marketable size and sexual maturity in 

 five years; others require twice or even three times 

 as long to mature. How great an age a terrapin may 

 reach is not yet known. Some of the wild terrapins 

 confined in pounds at Beaufort have been held since 

 1902, others since 1909, and still others since 1911. 

 No disease has ever occurred among them, and about 

 ninety-five per cent of them are still living in 1927 

 and producing eggs. Slow growth offers the greatest 

 obstacle in practical terrapin farming. This is largely 

 offset, however, by the small amount of care the 

 animals require and the very low cost for food. 

 Records have been kept at Beaufort showing that 

 food costs around six cents a head per year for adults 

 and three mills a head for very young animals. 



The terrapin fishery, because of the scarcity of 

 the animals, is of comparatively little importance, 

 and only a relatively few men engage in terrapin 

 fishing as a part-time occupation. The animals are 

 sometimes seen swimming or crawling about in the 

 marshes and are caught with dip-nets. Others are 

 taken in drag-nets that are hauled principally for 

 fish. Sometimes nets are stretched across the lower 



